This invention relates to an improved machine for cleaning shoe soles and particularly the soles of bowling shoes and other athletic shoes. The invention is an improvement over the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,919 to Burford.
In bowling and many other sports, the condition and cleanliness of the shoes can have a significant impact on the performance of the participants. For example, if excessive quantities of dirt or other foreign materials are allowed to build up on the soles of bowling shoes, the bowler cannot slide toward the foul line in the smooth manner necessary for proper delivery of the ball. Instead, the shoes may drag or stick on the floor and thus adversely affect the release of the bowler. Liquids on the shoes can have a similar effect. The shoes are equally important to good performance in other sports.
In recognition of the importance of athletic shoes and the need to maintain the soles in a clean state, various machines have been proposed for cleaning the soles of bowling shoes and the like. However, none of these machines has been commercially successful. The device shown in the aforementioned Burford patent includes a rubber wheel for cleaning rubber soles and a brush for cleaning leather soles. The cleaning implements and drive motor are carried on a spring mounted platform. Although this arrangement is generally satisfactory, it is not totally without problems. There is nothing provided on the machine for drying of the shoes, and the cabinet is not constructed in a particularly attractive or functional manner. Furthermore, there are no special features for attracting potential users as they pass by the machine.
The shoe conditioner shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,144,675 to Canaan is equipped with a blower arrangement for drying of the shoes. Since a separate conduit system for the blower and a separate outlet slot must be provided, undue expense and complexity are introduced into the machine. Also, the outlet slot for the blower does not coincide with the cleaning brush, and the portion of the shoe sole which is positioned on the brush is not dried at the same time as it is cleaned. Consequently, the drying system is not particularly effective. Equally significant, the blower system is completely isolated from the compartment which houses the motor and the drive system, and the blower cannot remove dirt and other debris that tends to accumulate in the compartment. The heating element that is necessary to heat the air that is circulated by the blower adds significantly to the cost and to the energy consumption of the device.